134 THE ART OF CULTURE. 



grows, the starch disappears, it being evidently ex- 

 hausted for the formation of the roots and leaves. 

 In the course of these experiments, M. Heyer made 

 the interesting observation, that such branches when 

 placed in snow-water (which contains ammonia) 

 produced roots three or four times longer than those 

 which they formed in pure distilled water, and that 

 this pure water remained clear, while the rain-water 

 gradually acquired a yellow color. 



Upon the blossoming of the sugar-cane, likewise,, 

 part of the sugar disappears; and it has been ascer- 

 tained, that the sugar does not accumulate in the 

 beet-root until after the leaves are completely formed. 



Much attention has recently been drawn to the 

 fact that the produce of potatoes may be much in- 

 creased by plucking off the blossoms from the plants 

 producing them, a result quite consistent with theo- 

 ry. This important observation has been completely 

 confirmed by M. Zeller, the director of the Agricul- 

 tural Society at Darmstadt. In the year 1839, two 

 fields of the same size, lying side by side and ma- 

 nured in the same manner, were planted with pota- 

 toes. When the plants had flowered, the blossoms 

 were removed from those in one field, while those in 

 the other field were left untouched. The former pro- 

 duced 47 bolls, the latter only 37 bolls. 



These well-authenticated observations remove ev- 

 ery doubt as to the part which sugar, starch, and 

 gum play in the development of plants ; and it ceases 

 to be enigmatical, why these three substances exer- 

 cise no influence on the growth or process of nutri- 

 tion of a matured plant, when supplied to them as 

 food. 



The accumulation of starch in plants during the 

 autumn has been compared, although certainly erro- 

 neously, to the fattening of hibernating animals be- 

 fore their winter sleep ; but in these animals every 

 vital function, except the process of respiration, is 

 suspended, and they only require, like a lamp slowly 

 burning, a substance rich in carbon and hydrogen to 



